Eavesdropping
by dreamsinreality
Summary: Sometimes it's just easier to tell the truth.


Title: Eavesdropping  
  
Author: ittybittytreefrog  
  
Summary: Sometimes it's just easier to tell the truth.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and I am making no money off of them.  
  
Thanks: To M for beta-ing and commenting and the title, and the Maple St. gang for being such an amazing group of people to know. You guys rock!  
  
A woman entered the FBI's New York office, identifying herself as Marie Malone on the visitor's log. She stepped into the elevator with one mission in mind: to track down the woman who thought she could be her. Jack was only supposed to love her; they were married after all.  
  
The elevator door opened and Marie easily picked out the one she was after. She would describe the girl as innocent looking, tossing a football back and forth with two other male colleagues. They appeared to be discussing a case, but the girl missed the ball as soon as she noticed the other woman who had seemed to almost suddenly appear out of nowhere.  
  
Samantha, the girl, gave her a quick once over, then hopped off the table and approached her.  
  
"Hello, how may I help you?"  
  
The other woman was silent for a moment, then, "You're Samantha, aren't you?" Her tone was bitter.  
  
"Yes, but I'm sorry I really don't think we've ever met. Who are you?"  
  
"It's of no importance." She glanced around the office, looking for something or someone. "Is Jack in?"  
  
"Um, he's busy in an interrogation with a suspect, but he should be back soon." And almost as if on cue, Jack appeared, approaching the bullpen.  
  
Maybe unfortunately, Marie noticed him first and marched off, dragging Jack along with her into his office.  
  
Samantha paled slightly, unable to move, as the pieces started to fall together. She realized that that other woman was most likely his wife, but no one noticed her reaction.  
  
"She really is something, isn't she Jack?" Marie asked once they were both in his office.  
  
At Jack's bewildered look, she elaborated. "Last night, that talk, me and you, you remember Jack, don't play around with me."  
  
Jack remembered all too well how that had gone.  
  
----  
  
He had gotten back home from work later than normal. He had been thinking about a case for the whole subway ride and nothing changed when he got home.  
  
But a voice had pulled him from his thoughts. "So, Jack, I didn't know the Missing Person's Unit worked until three in the morning." The bitterness of her voice let what she really thought show through.  
  
Calm and collected, he had answered her with the truth. "We got too into a case, and we lost track of time. You know we rarely work normal office hours."  
  
"Oh, don't bullshit me Jack. What's her name?"  
  
"Samantha." The word flew out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about not saying it. Before he had the chance to think about denying the fact that there was anyone else.  
  
"Ah, and is she a colleague of yours?"  
  
That was the point where he had fled and found a hotel room for the rest of the night. That point that had led to him standing in his office, about to face plenty of new accusations from his wife, things he didn't want her to accuse him of, things he didn't want her to know even if they were true.  
  
----  
  
"I'm not wrong, am I?" Marie's bitter voice jerked Jack back to the present. "That blonde, that's her. C'mon Jack, you gave yourself away leaving like that.  
  
"Why her? Is it because she was an easy fuck? Because you didn't have to wait to get across town and get home? Because you two could just get a hotel room next door, or not even wait that long and just lock your office door."  
  
"I don't know, Marie." He spoke slowly and deliberately, choosing each word carefully so as not to anger Marie anymore. "Maybe it was like that at first. I don't remember. But over the months, I think she's grown on me and I, I think maybe I like her more than I should, and I think maybe it's something more emotional than physical now." He stopped. Why was he telling her all this? Because it was easier to admit it and not keep telling all these lies? Because the deception didn't work and wasn't fair to any of them? Because somewhere, subconsciously, he knew that telling Marie would make it easier to sort life out? Because it was the right thing to do? It was the right thing to do, right?  
  
Marie sighed. Why was he telling her all this? She had guessed right, or close enough. He had been sleeping with this younger woman, he admitted to that. But Marie knew he loved this other woman, which was something she couldn't handle at that moment. And she had the feeling he loved this other woman more than her. She couldn't digest the fact that he would actually do this, do this to his family, to her, to their girls. She couldn't handle the fact that he would be this disloyal to her, that he would just flat out ignore the ring on his finger and all it symbolized. She couldn't help but wonder what would become of their marriage. She knew she would need to talk to him more about this.  
  
But right now he was standing there in front of her, hanging his head, looking pitiful and she knew they would have to deal with it later. Sighing, she turned and left his office, left the building.  
  
Jack didn't bother to watch her leave, didn't bother to even say good bye. He sat down and picked up a case file and leafed through it. He tried reading it, but the words swarmed together, mixed up with his thoughts, and created something that he couldn't understand. He put it down and took off his glasses.  
  
There was someone standing there. Samantha. 


End file.
